Perched atop the silver eagle, Ye Qian pulled a map from his space ring and studied it carefully. After a moment, he muttered to himself, "It's time I visit the Underworld Sect." He tapped twice on the eagle's back with his right hand. With a piercing screech—"SCREEEEEEEEEEECH!"—the silver eagle shot forward, slicing through the air at breakneck speed toward Ye Qian's desired destination.
After a week of continuous flight, Ye Qian finally arrived near the gates of Huaxin City. Dismounting from the back of the silver eagle, he summoned a powerful gust of wind onto his palm, tearing the map into tiny fragments. With a wave of his hand, he sent the silver eagle soaring toward the mountains in the sky. Turning his attention forward, he began walking toward the city gate.
Two city guards stood at the gate as Ye Qian approached. The burly, muscular guard called out, "Halt! What business brings you to our city?"
Ye Qian said nothing. He reached into his space ring, withdrew a small bag, and tossed it toward the guard. The man caught it effortlessly and opened it. His eyes widened as they fell on the gleaming gold coins inside. For a moment, a flash of greed crossed his face, but it quickly melted into a broad smile.
"Welcome to Huaxin City, friend," the guard said. "Enjoy your stay."
Ye Qian nodded silently and stepped into the city.
______
In Huaxin city.
Ye Qian wandered through the streets of Huaxin City, his eyes scanning for something specific. According to the letter he had received earlier, he needed to visit a particular place first in order to contact the Underworld Sect and learn their exact location. His gaze soon fell upon a nearby restaurant. Reading the signboard above the entrance, he saw the words: "Hot Pot Restaurant." A small smirk curved his lips. Without hesitation, he strode forward and stepped inside.
_____
Inside the Hot Pot Restaurant
Ye Qian spotted an empty table in the far right corner of the restaurant's dining hall and made his way over to it. No sooner had he seated himself a stunning waitress walked towards his table. Her long purple hair cascaded down her back, framing a face with dark, expressive eyes and cherry-red lips. She had a curvaceous, feminine figure, with fair, snow-like skin that made her presence all the more striking.
She asked Ye Qian in a sweet voice, "Hello, sir. What would you like to order today?"
Ye Qian looked at her calmly and said, "I want horse meat cooked over a low flame—make sure it's tender. And I'll have your strongest drink. When I take a sip of it, I want to feel as if I had 99 lives to keep enjoying it."
The waitress's eyes widened for a moment, then she smiled warmly. "Of course, sir. Please wait patiently; your order will be ready shortly." She bowed gracefully before leaving.
After ten minutes, the waitress returned with Ye Qian's order and discreetly slipped a piece of paper into his hand. Ye Qian tucked it into his pocket.
Once he finished having his meal, he paid for everything and quietly exited the restaurant.
_____
Outside the restaurant
Ye Qian stepped out of the restaurant and unfolded the slip of paper the waitress had slipped him. After reading its contents, a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. He folded the paper neatly and tucked it back into his pocket before heading toward a nearby empty alley.
Once he reached the alley, he moved to the shadowed wall on the right. After confirming that no one was nearby, he stomped his foot on the ground five times. Then, in a low voice, he recited.
"No voice can hear you, no eyes can see you when you are in the underworld, for once you step inside… you belong to the darkness."
Suddenly, Ye Qian noticed the ground in front of him snap upward, and he saw stairs leading downward. Ye Qian began to walk towards the stairs, using them to descend. Upon Ye Qian's entry, the ground suddenly snapped back.
Suddenly, the ground before Ye Qian snapped upward, revealing a staircase leading down. He stepped toward it and began his descent. No sooner had he entered the ground snapped shut behind him.
_____
With each step Ye Qian descended, two candles flickered to life on either side of the staircase, illuminating the hidden passageway in a growing cascade of light. When he reached the final step, he halted. A man stood before him, clad in a pitch‑black robe and wearing a featureless black mask with only two hollow eye holes. Spiky black hair jutted out from behind the mask.
In a cold, emotionless voice, the man spoke.
"Welcome to the Underworld Sect. Who do you want us to kill?"
Ye Qian drew in a steady breath, his expression turning grave.
"I want you to kill the patriarch of the Ye Clan in Azure City—along with all his descendants and his wives."
Before the blank black mask could respond, a scoffing voice emerged from the shadows: "We refuse your mission request."
Ye Qian froze, shock flashing across his face. "Why?" he demanded. "I've heard the Underworld Sect carries out any assassination missions. I am willing to offer you an earth-tier cultivation method in exchange for this request!"
The voice barked back, dripping with disdain, "Watch your tone with me, ant."
In an instant, an invincible force slammed into Ye Qian, hurling him across the hall. 'BAAM!'' He crashed against the wall, blood spewing from his mouth as he groaned in agony, "AAGHH!"
The voice then withdrew the overwhelming force and Ye Qian collapsed to his knees. Struggling to regain his balance, he heard the voice say, cold and unwavering, "Even if you offered a heaven-tier cultivation method as payment, we would still refuse your mission request."
Stunned, Ye Qian forced himself to stand. His eyes burned with urgency as he demanded, "Why? Answer me!"
The voice then replied calmly, "Very well. To answer your question: the Celestial Mountain Sect is backing the current patriarch of the Ye clan, Ye Guo."
Ye Qian's eyes widened in shock and fear. He stepped back, his voice trembling. "How… how is that possible? How could a colossal force like the Celestial Mountain Sect support a mere Saint Ruler of the first layer? To them, he should be no more than an ant."
The voice chuckled. "Hehehe, you really know nothing about your own brother… or the cultivation realm he's in now."
Ye Qian felt sweat bead on his forehead. "How did you—"
The voice cut him off, still chuckling. "How did I know? Of course I know the big names on the Tian Yuan Continent. And let me tell you this: your brother is one of them."
Ye Qian couldn't believe what he was hearing. The voice, however, continued without hesitation.
"We are an assassination sect," it said calmly. "We need precise information to carry out our missions perfectly. Let me enlighten you—your brother's cultivation realm has reached the Saint King realm."
Ye Qian drew a sharp breath, cold sweat streaming down his face. His voice trembled as he shouted, "Saint King? How… how can this be?"
The voice continued, "During your brother's past adventures on the Tian Yuan continent, he caught the attention of an outer elder of the Celestial Mountain Sect, who personally invited him to join. Once inside the sect, his cultivation advanced rapidly, and his remarkable contributions earned him swift promotions. Ultimately, he rose to become one of the Supreme Elders. Know this: one of the requirements to attain the rank of Supreme Elder in the Celestial Mountain Sect is that one's cultivation must reach the Saint King realm."
Ye Qian was speechless. "Then why did he leave the sect? If Father and the clan elders knew he had become one of the Supreme Elders of the Celestial Mountain Sect, they would have asked him to stay—his presence would bring so much prestige to the clan."
The voice replied calmly, "I don't know his reason. If you want an answer, I suggest you ask him yourself."
Ye Qian then cursed loudly, "Damn it, why? I wanted them dead! This situation is unfair. It is my right to hold the position of patriarch of the Ye clan!"
After hearing Ye Qian's words, the voice burst into wild laughter. "HAHAHAHA!"
Irritated, Ye Qian clenched his fists and shouted, "What are you laughing at?"
The laughter gradually softened into a low chuckle. "Tell me, Ye Qian… just how far are you willing to go to kill your brother—and every one of his descendants?"
Ye Qian furrowed his brows, clearly confused. "Why are you asking me this question?"
The voice let out an irritated hiss. "Just answer. I don't have all day to waste on an ant like you."
Gritting his teeth, Ye Qian replied, "I'm willing to do anything. The patriarch's position belongs to me—it is rightfully mine."
A low chuckle echoed from the darkness. "Anything, you say? Very well. I have a suggestion for you." The voice paused, its tone turning sinister. "Join the Devil Claw Sect."
When Ye Qian heard this, cold sweat trickled down his back. "Isn't the Devil Claw Sect a demonic sect—and the mortal enemy of all three protector sects on the Tian Yuan Continent?" he asked, his voice wavering.
The voice let out a low chuckle. "That's right. If you join them, you risk death… or losing yourself entirely. Their cultivation methods are cruel, twisted, and unforgiving." The voice paused before adding, "But if you survive—if you don't break—you will grow stronger at a pace you can't even imagine."
Ye Qian fell silent, mulling over the voice's disturbing suggestion. Sensing his hesitation, the voice spoke again, its tone smooth and persuasive:
"And if, one day, you manage to secure a high position within the sect, you could request their assistance in eliminating your brother… and every last one of his descendants."
When Ye Qian heard this, his eyes lit up with a fierce resolve. "I want to join the Devil Claw Sect. Tell me—how can I join?"
The voice chuckled darkly, the sound echoing like a whisper from the abyss. "Entry into the Devil Claw Sect requires a… tribute of 800 virgin women, if you are able to provide the virgins you will be eligible to attempt the entrance ceremony of the Devil Claw Sect."
A pause, then the voice continued, amused, "We can assist with gathering the 800 virgin women and contact the sect to send someone to collect you. In return, you will hand over the earth-tier cultivation method."
Without hesitation, Ye Qian nodded and retrieved a scroll from his space ring. The black mask man grabbed the scroll from Ye Qian."
Once the black-masked figure accepted the cultivation method from Ye Qian, the scroll slipped from its grasp and rose into the air. Guided by an invisible force, it drifted toward the depths of the hideout, vanishing into the darkness beyond.
After a few minutes Ye Qian heard the voice saying approvingly, "Good. This will suffice."
Then, in a tone both casual and commanding, it continued, "Black Mask, escort our guest to his quarters. After that, order the Black Mask Division to capture 800 virgin women to be offered to the Devil Claw Sect."
The black-masked figure bowed slightly after hearing the order. "Yes, Master."
Black Mask turned toward Ye Qian, the obsidian lenses of his mask reflecting no light. "Guest," he said in a low, toneless voice, "please follow me."
Without giving Ye Qian a chance to respond, the Black Mask pivoted sharply on his heel and strode away, his cloak trailing behind him like a drifting shadow.
Ye Qian hesitated for a moment before finally following the black-masked figure. 'No matter what darkness awaits me,' he thought, 'I will move forward—and claim what is rightfully mine.'